The Time Is Coming
by CapedCrusaderRising
Summary: Driven by crime, Bruce can never stop being the Batman. Gotham will always need him, even when they don't want him. Can Bruce walk away from the legacy he has built or will he finally succumb to the addiction that is Batman?
1. Chapter 1

This is just a little cliff-hanger that I thought of. It could possibly go somewhere further. Tell me what you like or didn't like, either way it is much appreciated! I do not own any of the characters.

* * *

The thick, cloying gas left tears in Batman's eyes. He reached out blindly, swiping out at the crazed inmates, trying to make his way out of the poisonous air. Cries and gagging filled his ears as he slumped on to his knees. A loud, rough cough racked his body and a bright red splatter appeared on the stone in front of him. Blood dribbled down from his chin and he shakily wiped his mouth with his gloved hand. He forced his body to move and he started to crawl over the dead inmates.

Weak, psychotic laughter came from somewhere around him and he turned in the direction of the sound. Squinting past the tears, he saw the telltale white skin, green hair, and red lips of the Joker. A feeling of rage and familiarity swept through him and he move faster towards the body. All of the sudden he was leaning over the Joker's body, his hand weakly gripping the front of his prison uniform, forcing his other hand into a fist. The Joker cackled and punctuated it with a sick, wet cough.

"Ha…ha..Haha.. Looks like we are going to die together. How cute." The Batman forced a weak growl from his throat and in return, the Joker giggled even more.

"Give it up Bats. You've been beaten."

"Never." He replied in a dry rasp.

"Hah…Ha..Haha. Never? Are you sure about that? Do you have a miracle in that belt of yours? Ha..Haha. Hah." Joker commented.

"Just admit it, this is the end, and you're afraid. You're afraid to die."

The Batman shook his head and his vision swam from the force. His emotions welled up in his throat, blocking his airways, and he felt his despair in his body. He felt how tired he was of fight, how tired he was of living. He could feel himself giving up, giving up on everything. For a moment, he thought of what it would be like to be free from everything. Free of the pain and emptiness that was his entire being. He felt nothing. His life had been so full of anger and hurt that he could not remember what it was like to be happy. The memories of his parents seemed like a faraway dream.

"Come cry on my shoulder Bats. I'm here for you." The Joker said with mock understanding. He busted out into a fit of coughs and blood splattered on to Batman's face.

"Hah..aha… Haha..Ha..hah. Opps." The Joker said weakly as his body started to shudder. The Joker's body started to convulse and bloody foam bubbled out of his mouth. A wet, choking sound came low from within the his throat and Batman watched as the Joker's life slipped away.

"No you son of a bitch!" Batman roared. He grabbed the front of the Joker's uniform and shook his entire body. "You won't die damn it. I won't let you!" Batman would not allow this criminal to get out so easily. At least that is what he told himself. Deep down the Batman knew that if the Joker dies and he survived, he would have no means to be the Batman. With the Clown Prince of Crime gone, Batman would have no need to protect Gotham. but Bruce couldn't let go of Batman. Batman had become Bruce's addiction, just like the Joker had become Batman's addiction.

A choking sound come from Batman's throat as he realized this. He couldn't go back to living an empty life as Bruce Wayne. He had to have a reason to live, and Batman was his reason to live. Somewhere far in the back of his mind, he knew that he had forgotten the true meaning of Batman. He had forgotten that he put away criminals to make Gotham the way his father would have wanted it. His father. A sob made its way out of his throat as he thought of his parents. He wished he could have them with him now. He could imagine his mother holding him close and his father telling him how proud he was. And that was all Bruce wanted. Was for his family to be proud of him.

"And we are." Bruce heard. He looked up over the Joker's dying body and saw his parents smiling down at him. Bruce knew they weren't real, but he couldn't help reaching out towards them. He was so broken and lost. Bruce didn't want to be Batman and deal with the pain anymore. He just wanted to go home.

"Then let go." His mother said and his father smiled at him. A round of hard coughs ran through his body as he vomited blood, but he smiled through the pain and the haze of poisonous smoke, and finally let go.


	2. Chapter 2

Batman felt himself tip forward and collapse over the Joker's body. He felt his strength, what was left of it, ebb away and leave him feeling exposed. He looked up to see his parents, to assure him that it was time to let go, and he saw no one. There was nothing, but the empty . Panic took over the Batman's body and he curl into a small ball on his side. He was alone, helpless, and he was going to die.

Batman shook violently and coughed up blood as he let the terror take hold of him. He wished silently that he could just die already and in response his eyes drooped. He felt so tired and his muscle began to relax. He started to shut his eyes when he felt something being slipped onto his face. Instantly he felt his airways clear with fresh oxygen and his mind sharpen. A pair of arms hauled his body up into a sitting position.

"Bruce. Bruce! Fuck Bruce, don't you dare die!" He heard someone say. It sounded familiar, but so far away. Batman's muscles would not cooperate with his body and he fell back onto his side.

"Damn it! Bruce we have to get out of here! Come on!" The voice said as it hauled him up onto his feet. Batman tripped forward, but was caught by the mysterious person, who leaned the Batman onto himself. As they started walking, Batman tried to open his eyes, and he saw a bleary image of Robin.

"R..Robin?" Batman croaked.

"Shut up, just focus on walking until we can get you to the Bat Cave. You almost died." Robin replied shortly. Robin pulled Batman along faster with him and soon they came to the Bat Pod. Batman went to ask how the Bat Pod was still here when he saw it go up in flames, but a cough errupted from his throat. Blood splattered inside his gas mask and his body shook from the force of the cough.

Batman fell out of Robin's arms and onto his hands and knees. Batman let his body shake and convulse until it passed. He slowly stood up ,using the Bat Pod as a crutch, and made his way around to the passenger door. Robin watched Batman disappeared into the Bat Pod.

Robin stared at where Batman had entered the Bat Pod for a moment, not thinking, but just staring. A second later he jumped into motion and moved towards the car. Robin needed to get Batman to the Bat Cave before he died and standing around wouldn't help him.

Robin got into the Bat Pod and looked over at Batman. He was leaning fully against the seat and breathing shallowly.

"Shit." Robin said under his breath as he saw blood dripping from underneath the gas mask.

He threw the Bat Pod into drive and stepped on the gas, peeling out of the grounds of Arkham Asylum. He aimed the Bat Pod for the small cave entrance near the cliffs. The Bat Pod was engulfed in darkness as he travel down the cave. The Bat Pod could not accelerate fast enough and the dim light filter through the windows as they entered the tunnel that lead back to Gotham.

"We are almost home. Just hold on." Robin gritted through his teeth as he stepped on the gas to travel up the rising incline of the tunnel. The Bat Pod exploded out of the tunnel and let in the night.

"Home." Robin said as he took in the skyline of Gotham and the sight of Bruce's almost lifeless body. He maneuvered through the streets, trying to get his only hero home, so they could both live to see another day.

* * *

Cliff-hangers darling! I tried to bridge into this from the first chapter. I really have no idea where this story is going so this is really quick and still pretty rough, but tell me what you think! Reviews are lovely.


	3. Chapter 3

This is a little Joker POV because I have a special place in my heart for that crazy man. Enjoy! Comments and reviews are welcome! Again, I do not own any of the characters.

* * *

The Joker danced through the throng of dying inmates. He laughed as the poisonous smoke claimed the inmates and slowly claimed him.

_A quite anticlimactic ending to such an incredible man as himself_, he thought, but he was not afraid to die. He welcomed it and laughed in death's face. He let out a round of giggles to punctuate that thought. The gas in the air wrapped around him, choking his senses and he gagged. He reached towards an inmate who was vomiting blood and begging for it to be over.

He grabbed the inmate and said, "Never fear! Doctor Joker is here to cure what ails you."

Smiling, he gripped the back of the inmates head and slammed it down into the hard stone that was the ground. The inmates face collapsed from the force and a shower of blood, flesh, and bones sprayed over him.

"Clean up on aisle 12 old boy!" He said to another dead inmate on the ground next to him.

"Sleeping on the job? I need better help god damn it." He said with outrage as he kicked his foot into the dead inmate's face, breaking his cheekbones.

He turned away and stomped through the crowd, angry that they were so unexciting. It was always the same thing when death came around. People cried, prayed to their god, and begged for their live. It was so boring and predictable.

A cough came from deep within the Joker's lungs and out came a light spray of blood. The sight of his blood on his hands made him laugh so hard that more blood, thicker and darker than before, spray out from his mouth. Laughing, he skipped around the dead, making his way through the grounds of Arkham Asylum.

A fog formed in Joker's mind and his vision blurred. His body stopped respond and he pitched forward onto the ground. He heard his skull bounce off the stone as came to rest face down on the ground. He waited for his senses to return before he moved. He rolled onto his back, pushing inmates out of his way so he had a clear place to lie. The Joker sighed as he looked up at the night sky through the thick poisonous gas. He could feel the blood pooling in his lungs and he coughed, letting the blood fly up into the sky and then splatter onto his face.

He went to sit up, but he found that his body was too heavy for him to move. He shrugged and ditched the effort to move. He heard the sound of fabric moving near the left of him and his curiosity spiked. The sound had weight to it and he knew that it was a person moving and he wondered what kind of man could still be on his feet in such conditions as these. The noise came closer and then the Batman appeared in his vision, gripping the front of the Joker's shirt.

'Oh Bats, you came for me!" The Joker exclaimed.

The Joker registered the blood on the Batman's mouth and smiled.

"Looks like we're going to die together, but there was no other way for us to go was there?" Joker babbled.

Batman did not respond and that cause the Joker to laugh as he thought, that even in death, the Batman was still so stubborn. The laughter turned into coughs and the coughs brought up blood. He coughed and his blood splattered on the Batman's face.

"Hah..Haha…Hah.. Aha. Woops." Joker giggled.

"So Bats," the Joker said weakly. "Do you still believe that you'll make it out of here?" Joker questioned.

The Joker watched as Batman's vision seemed to cloud and he got a glimpse of how truly insane the Batman was. Batman tried to fight criminals and psychotics, but in reality, he should be in his own padded cell. Joker noticed how the Batman's body slumped forward and how broken he seemed. Batman had snapped and all it took was a situation that he could not get out of. The Joker's body started to convulse and shake as the gas took hold of his nervous system. Bloodied foam crept up his throat and dribbled out of the Joker's mouth.

Batman reached out, grabbed the Joker's shirt, and shook him. Batman let go of his shirt and collapsed over him, coughing, and vomiting blood. Joker smiled as he felt his body stop shuddering. _This gas is truly amazing, _he thought, you never know what it is going to do next. One moment it is filling your entire body with agony and then the next it is taking the pain away.

The Joker felt the bat's body being lifted off him and taken away. _Someone took the Bat, probably one of his little orphan recruits_, Joker thought. He heard the engine of a car start and screech off into the distance. All alone now, the Joker waited to descend into hell or wherever people like him go, but it never came. Instead, he heard a pair of heels coming towards him and Harley appeared in front of him. She had a large black gas mask on her face and she had a look of horror on her face.

"Puddin!" She cried as dropped down next to him. She strapped a gas mask on the Joker's face and stabbed an injection into the Joker's neck.

The Joker felt better almost instantly and sat up. Harley wrapped her arms round the Joker and squeezed. He let her hug him and then pushed her off, annoyed that she had come so late. Joker stood up and brushed off his bloody inmate jumpsuit. He looked over at Harley, who was still sitting on the ground, with tears streaming down her face, and motioned for her to stand up.

"Come on Harls, it's time to get this plan a rollin'!" Joker cried out joyfully.

Harley hopped up and down, giggling, and followed the Joker over to the Medical Facility. Opening the door, he gestured for Harley to enter first. Smiling, she went to walk through the door, when at the last second, Joker pushed her out of the way and walked ahead of her. He did not wait for her to get up. He knew she would follow him, and she did.

"Hey puddin?" Harley asked quietly.

"What Harley?" Joker asked, annoyed that she was talking right now.

"Why did you have to almost die? Why couldn't you just disappear and have you death rumored about?"

Sighing, Joker turned around and looked at Harley. "Because, my dim-witted friend, the only way to truly convince someone of something is to show it to them, and the Batman needed to be convinced."

* * *

Betcha didn't see that coming?! I really got into that chapter so I hope you liked it. I look forward to really getting into this story a lot! I see a lot of views and even though it isn't a big number it makes me so happy! Please leave a review and any suggestions. I would love to hear you opnions!


	4. Chapter 4

I think I have decided to do chapters alternating from Batman and Joker with this chapter being Batman. Maybe I will even throw in a little chapter with Harley. Please leave a comment or a review! I would love hear what you have to say or how I could improve. I am also open to suggestions on how the story should progress, so take a few seconds or more to leave a comment or a review. And again I do not own any of the characters, though I wish I could!

Bruce was unconscious when Robin arrived in the Bat Cave. Cursing, Robin hurried out of the Bat Pod to get around to the side Bruce was on and drag him out onto the floor of the Bat Cave. Robin was dragging Bruce's body over to the 'medical area' in the Cave when Alfred came down from some unknown place to help carry him over to the exam table.

"Oh master Wayne." Alfred said sadly.

"He's not dead yet." Robin stated through gritted teeth.

Placing Bruce onto the exam table, Robin removed his cowl, allowing room for the oxygen mask.

"He may have brain damage." Robin said quietly as he began working on Bruce. "I have no idea if the gas even affects the nervous system or if it just suffocates the victim."

Alfred did not reply, instead he pulled on a pair of surgical gloves, threaded a needle, and sat down to start sewing up Bruce's larger wounds.

Alfred and Robin worked throughout the night repairing Bruce's body. Robin had been able to rid Bruce's respiratory system of the toxic gas and replace it with clean oxygen. The gas had no deteriorative effect on tissue or organs so Robin hoped this meant that the brain was safe. Robin had taken a sample of the gas from the island and was going to examine it to be positive that Bruce would make a full recovery, but he could not bring himself to leave Bruce's side.

"There is nothing else we can do." Alfred said, placing his hand on Robin's shoulder.

"There is always something else!" Robin shouted, turning on Alfred, taking his frustration out on his old friend. Robin was scared, but he knew Bruce would not allow him to be scared so he let his fear fuel his rage.

Robin was breathing heavily, ready to shout more obscenities in Alfred's face, when he felt Alfred's arm wrap around him in a hug. Robin sagged into Alfred's arms and held onto the man who had been through it all, who knew that Robin was scared. To be honest, Alfred was scared too.

Bruce woke up 2 days later in his parent's room. It had been a slow waking, full of nightmares and swimming in and out of consciousness, but finally Bruce was back to reality. From the instant he became conscious again, the pain washed through him with a vengeance. His throat burned and his body felt permanently stiff. His eyes blurred and his thoughts dimmed. Bruce fought against everything that his body was throwing at him. In the midst of fighting this losing battle, Alfred entered the room.

"Master Wayne, welcome back." He said, walking over to assess Bruce's current state.

With something new in the environment, Bruce was able to occupy himself, and push away the pain and lingering fatigue.

"Alfred." Bruce rasped in response.

"Yes, your throat is going to be quiet sore, along with you lungs. The gas did quite a number on you." Alfred explained as he inspected Bruce's mouth with a small light.

Making a few comments to himself, Alfred began questioning Bruce.

"How are you feeling?"

"Stiff." Bruce quipped, picking at a thread on his blanket.

"How does it feel to breathe?"

"Fine."

"How does your head feel?"

"Wonderful."

"When are you going to stop being so difficult?" Alfred asked.

Bruce scoffed and stopped playing with the thread. "I am not being difficult."

Alfred sighed. "Master Wayne, I have watched over you since you were born, so I know when you're being stubborn."

Bruce mimicked Alfred's sigh and leaned back onto the headboard. After a few moments of silence Alfred spoke.

"Whenever you are ready, you can come downstairs. Robin had been analyzing the gas from the Asylum to keep himself busy. You owe him a thank you."

Biting back a retort, Bruce watched as Alfred left the room, shutting the door behind him. Once Alfred left, Bruce assessed his situation.

While he was looking over his body, a thought appeared in the back of his mind, where did all his injuries come from.

Realization dawned on Bruce. He shot out of his bed and stumbled from the sudden moment. Pain exploded through his chest and he knelt on the floor, fighting past the pain. His breathing slowed and he stood up shakily. The rational part of his brain told him that he couldn't preform at his best in this condition, but the Batman part of his brain told him that no injury should stop him from protecting his city.

Bruce looked around the room and put his head in his hands, torn between getting back in the suit and hanging up the suit for good.


End file.
